Acer Chromebook 317 hands-on: A look at the first 17-inch Chromebook

Acer aims to appeal to mobile professionals and families alike with the Chromebook 317, the first Chromebook to feature a 17.3-inch display. Acer reckons the Chromebook 317 is ideal for multitasking workers, hybrid workers and parents with kids, thanks to the extra-large canvas that can handle the job.

This monster machine offers more than just a big screen. Find out what the device looks like in the early Acer Chromebook 317 lab.

Highly configurable

The Acer Chromebook 317 comes in a number of configurations. We like the options, but we wish some features were standard.

Relationship: The best Chromebook you can get.

Let’s start with the screen. All display versions are 17.3 inches and come with Full HD resolution with an aspect ratio of 16:9. If you want to save cash, you can opt for a touchscreen or not.

Thanks to the ample space provided by the large display, the full-size keyboard includes a 10-digit numeric keypad. Keyboard backlighting is optional.

You can choose the processor. High-end systems are powered by an Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, while mid-range models use an Intel Celeron N5100 processor, and the entry-level version comes with a Celeron N4500 processor. All three are supported by Intel UHD graphics. The models come with 4 GB or 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM and have two eMMC storage options (64 GB and 128 GB).

Participating in many video calls requires the additional use of a Full HD video camera with a wide viewing angle of 82 degrees. Is it optional too? Dual digital microphone array to make your voice sound more dreamy during video calls. A microphone is standard.

Other standard features include up-firing stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6, two USB-C and two USB-A ports, a combo headphone/mic jack, and multiple ports including a microSD card slot.

Available in silver.

But how?!

In a word, it’s huge. Like most 17-inch laptops I’ve seen, the Acer Chromebook 317 offers a large size on its own. The bag measures 401.2 x 267.1 x 22.5 mm and weighs 2.35 kg. I have 13-inch and 15-inch Chromebooks in my office (example: Acer spin 311. It’s not something you carry around without dedication.

See also: The best budget Chromebook

The screen is impressive for its size, but I saw a very high-quality display throughout the day. Pulling 1,920 x 1,080 pixels on a panel like this means the screen isn’t very sharp. I found that the jagged edges of the text and the full-screen movie trailer didn’t wow me in the way I was expecting. However, the brightness was good and the color showed up. It’s one big workspace, so running multiple windows side-by-side doesn’t feel crowded. Thankfully, Acer kept the bezel quite thin. It doesn’t look full-screen, but it doesn’t have an excessively thick frame around the screen.